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Croeso - Welcome

Welcome to another edition of my monthly bulletin which looks back at some of the highlights and key activities from September.

In this edition, we have a wealth of noteworthy updates to share with you. First and foremost, I am proud to present the latest annual report, which reflects upon the highlights and achievements of 2022 to 2023. This report evidences our dedication to transparency and accountability, offering you insight into the progress we've made together.

You will also find details of our latest Deep Dive scrutiny review on how Dyfed-Powys Police manages perpetrators of stalking and harassment. Your safety is our utmost concern, and this review reinforces our dedication to protecting you from such threats.

This month, we also celebrated e a significant milestone — the 50th anniversary of the Community Payback Scheme. This initiative has played an integral role in rehabilitating individuals within our community and shaping a safer, more inclusive environment for all.

Lastly, I am pleased to share the Association Of Police and Crime Commissioner’s latest ‘In Focus’ which highlights Dyfed-Powys Police’s innovative approach to tackling serious and organised violent crime in our area through our INTACT initative.

As always, our feedback and engagement remain invaluable to us. Together, we can continue to enhance our community's safety and well-being. Thank you for your support and partnership in making our region a better place to live.  if you have any queries, I encourage you to reach out to my Office via email.

Thank you.

Dafydd Llywelyn

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner

Annual Report Publication

At the beginning of September, I published my annual report which covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 and shines a light on the progress made against the priorities of my Police and Crime Plan.

The publication provides updates on key projects and initiatives that both myself and my office work on in partnership with a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.  The report also includes performance information relating to the three priority areas adopted within my plan, which are:

• Victims are supported

• Harm is prevented

• Our Justice System is more effective

2022-23 was a challenging but productive year for everyone involved in Policing. This is the second year of delivering projects aligned to my key priorities from my 2021-25 Police and Crime Plan.  

The work has been done against the backdrop of ongoing financial pressures and low public confidence in policing across England and Wales. 

My office and I have worked hard, together with the Force, to ensure we are as efficient as we possibly can be, whilst always ensuring value for money and delivering highly effective services to those who need them.

As we move forward, I would like to reiterate our commitment to building a safer, more resilient community for all. The 2022-23 Annual Report serves as a testament to our progress and reinforces our determination to fulfil the vision of a Dyfed-Powys of safe communities.

The 2022-23 Annual Report can be accessed on the Police and Crime Commissioner's official website, here .

Scrutiny review into Dyfed-Powys Police’s management of stalking and harassment perpetrators

On the 25th of September, I published a report on a Deep Dive review my Office has undertaken which scrutinises how Dyfed-Powys Police manages perpetrators of stalking and harassment. The report includes several key recommendations for the Force to consider as they look to improve their response to policing stalking and harassment.

I identified stalking and harassment as an important area for scrutiny activity, contributing to the policing priorities set out within my Police and Crime Plan.

Data from the Office for National Statistics published on 26 January 2023 shows that stalking and harassment crimes across England and Wales rose by 14.09% for the 12 months to March 2022, compared to the same period the previous year.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, 10,199 cases of stalking and harassment were recorded across the Dyfed-Powys Police Force area, which was a 51.05% increase for the 12 months to March 2022 compared to the same period the previous year.

I have given Dyfed-Powys Police a series of recommendations in response of the review, which relate to Victims’ expectations, Resourcing, Data, Training, Perpetrator Interventions and Monitoring.

This review has reassured me that victims are being safeguarded by the police here in Dyfed-Powys. However, victims reported that they did not feel fully supported by the police.

I am confident that Dyfed-Powys Police have already taken steps towards improvement, and am hopeful that by taking onboard my recommendations, the Force’s management of stalking and harassment perpetrators will continue to improve.

I will continue to scrutinise the Force in this area, to ensure that that these improvements are forthcoming, requesting regular updates from the Chief Constable. Crucially, I will also continue to engage victims and key individuals in this area, to understand if they are seeing and feeling the difference from the Force’s efforts.

Marking the 50th anniversary of Community Payback as part of my community engagement day.

On 20 September 2023, I joined local Prison and Probation Service Staff in Dyfed-Powys to mark 50 years since the first Community Service Order was made.

Community Payback is where offenders work on projects to pay back the community for their crimes, for example by, removing graffiti, clearing wasteland, decorating a community centre. The work must benefit the local community, not take paid work away from others and not make a profit for anyone.

Since the first Community Service order, as it was then known, was made in Nottinghamshire in 1973, many thousands of Community Payback (or Unpaid Work) projects have been completed across England and Wales, helping people on probation to gain skills and experience as they complete their requirements, and benefitting communities.

Projects have included the clearing of allotments, the repair and redecoration of community buildings, the planting of trees, river and beach clean-ups, the manufacture of toys and recycling of donated wood into furniture.

To commemorate the 50 years, Wales had a national spotlight from HMPPS in the month of September, with several projects taking place across the country.

While on my community engagement day in Carmarthenshire this month, I joined up with colleagues in Llanelli to involve myself in some site maintenance, litter picking, and cutting back overgrowth, to mark the 50 year anniversary.

Since it was first introduced, it has not only provided an opportunity for offenders to make amends for their actions but has also allowed them to give back to the communities they may have harmed. Through countless hours of unpaid work, individuals have repaired public spaces, contributed to environmental conservation, and supported local charities and organisations.

This anniversary reminds us of the importance of collaboration between partners, including between police forces, probation services, local authorities, and community partners. Together, we have worked vigorously to create a safer and more inclusive society, where individuals are given a second chance to rebuild their lives.

Dyfed-Powys Police's INTACT programme highlighted as 'innovative and effective approach to tackling serious violence' by APCC

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has published the latest edition of their 'In Focus' publication which focuses on ‘Innovative & Effective Approaches to Tackling Serious Violence'.

The publication highlights Dyfed-Powys Police's prevention and intervention programme - INTACT, as an example of good practice.

Violent crime has a devastating impact on victims and communities, and is extremely costly to society, but police forces and other agencies cannot work in isolation to tackle it.

The APCC’s ‘In Focus’ outlines the crucial work Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are doing across England and Wales with their Police forces and local partners, to facilitate effective multi-agency partnerships to prevent serious violence.

It highlights collaborative and evidence-based approaches which are the key to making our communities safer.

Included within the In Focus publication is a detailed overview of the Dyfed-Powys approach to tackling serious violence and organised crime (SVOC) in the Force area, through the INTACT initiative. 

INTACT is a multi-agency partnership to combat SVOC in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

INTACT is the project brand and represents the partnership response to SVOC.

The primary aim of INTACT is to coordinate and deliver early intervention programmes, which range from public engagement and education to one-to-one focused involvement with specific individuals, drawing upon a range of literature and established principles in youth crime and justice.

As the Police and Crime Commissioner, I firmly believe that tackling serious violence crimes requires us to constantly evolve and embrace innovative and effective approaches.

Our communities’ safety is our top priority, and we recognise that traditional policing methods alone are not enough to address the complex challenges posed by serious violence. To protect our residents and ensure a brighter, safer future, we are committed to collaborating with local partners to develop cutting-edge strategies such as INTACT, that prevent and combat serious violence within our communities, and I was pleased to see this innovative Dyfed-Powys approach being highlighted within the APCCs In Focus publication.

Responding to the Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales 2022 following its publication

This month I published my statutory response to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)’s Annual State of Policing Report that was published earlier this year.

In his first annual assessment of policing in England and Wales, Andy Cooke, who is His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said the police service is at a historic turning point and called for major reform, including new powers for the inspectors of constabulary.

The report acknowledges that police forces in England and Wales are complex and operate within an even more complex criminal justice system (CJS), and there are widespread systemic failings in both.  The report states that:

• the police aren’t always focusing on the issues that matter most to the public, and charge rates are far too low;

• the police and the wider CJS aren’t getting the basics right, as shown through the withdrawal from neighbourhood policing; and

• some critical elements of the police’s leadership and workforce arrangements need substantial reform.

Whilst there have been falling rates of satisfaction across England and Wales, I am encouraged by the data from the September 2022 Crime Survey of England and Wales, which identifies that Dyfed-Powys Police compares favourably with other forces in terms of understanding local concerns, addressing local priorities and provision of overall service.

I am also pleased that HMICFRS has highlighted Dyfed-Powys Police vetting department as effectively dealing with disproportionality and mitigating risk in the decision process for vetting. Positive commentary was received in respect of the quality of the vetting decision making and the associated rationale documents, which referenced the Vetting Authorised Professional Practice, Code of Practice, Code of Ethics, Standards of Professional Behaviour and the National Decision Model. I have been advised that two other forces have been in contact with Dyfed-Powys to learn from their approach.

I am grateful to Andy Cook for his annual report. My team and I continue to work closely with Dyfed-Powys Police representatives to ensure all relevant learning from insights generated through HMICFRS’ activity is acted upon to improve the policing service for the residents of Dyfed and Powys.

Home Affairs Committee’s Inquiry into Policing Priorities publish my written evidence submission

An Inquiry by the Home Affairs Committee into Policing Priorities has this month (September), published my written evidence submitted to them earlier this year.

The Committee launched its inquiry into the Priorities of Policing on 21st July 2022, at a time when public confidence in the police was at an all-time low.  The Committee called for evidence from the public and its representatives, asking:

1. What a modern police service, fit for the 2020s and beyond, looks like,

2. What balance police forces in England and Wales should strike between a focus on preventing and solving crime and carrying out their other functions;

3. What roles police forces should prioritise;

4. What can be done to improve community policing and increase trust in police officers and forces, including on funding and on disciplinary powers when police officer behaviour falls below required standards;

5. Specifically, what the Metropolitan Police must do to increase trust under its new Commissioner; and,

6. What steps can be taken to improve national conviction rates, including via relationships with other bodies such as the Crown Prosecution Service.

In my submission to the inquiry, I responded directly to the inquiry’s key themes by highlighting several recommendations that should be considered, including;

• Investment – supporting investment in skills, infrastructure, analytical capabilities, decarbonisation projects and innovative modernisation programmes;

• Partnerships - Better collaboration between Public Services so they have greater freedom to pool resources and work across boundaries and set the direction which best suit the needs of our communities;

• Local transparency and accountability - Increased local transparency and accountability, based on local priorities which have been carefully co-designed with our residents; and

• A focus on ‘The Right Outcome’ – Conviction at Court is not always the right outcome. Perpetrators may be better served with an out of court disposal, with conditions to engage in interventions aimed at addressing criminogenic needs to divert and prevent future offending.

The challenges faced by policing today have become increasingly complex, demanding of frontline officers and staff. It has been repeatedly argued that police forces are providing services beyond their sphere of responsibility, propping up other services as they too feel the strain under the weights of financial scarcity and wealth of expectation. This is not to diminish the value of collaboration with, and support for, other public services - quite the opposite. We must collectively do more to serve our public. This is what they expect of us. Under the current financial turmoil, we are all personally having to re-think how we cut our cloth.  You can read my full response by clicking on the link below.